Dunn County: good news and bad news for The Neighbors

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE  —  Dunn County Board chair Steve Rasmussen of Boyceville reported good news and bad news concerning the county’s nursing home, The Neighbors of Dunn County.

While the nursing home’s finances are now close to breaking even, the facility has been evaluated at being worth $10.3 million, and The Neighbors also ended up paying a $15,000 fine for a care issue in the memory care unit, Rasmussen told the Dunn County Board at the June 21 meeting.

A company that does “benchmarking” on the value of businesses and has an accuracy rate of 98 percent has placed a value of $10.3 million on The Neighbors, he said.

The construction cost five years ago for The Neighbors was about $23 million.

At $10.3 million, “it’s not attractive to sell,” Rasmussen said.

The census at The Neighbors, which refers to the rate of occupancy, is below 90 percent, he said.

But on the bright side, 90 percent is above the state average for nursing homes, Rasmussen noted.

The losses at the facility are trending down, he said.

Additional bad news for The Neighbors is that the facility was fined $23,000 based on a complaint filed for a care issue in the memory care unit, Rasmussen said.

The fine was reduced by 35 percent to $15,000 because it was paid promptly, he said.

Concerning the complaint, staff at The Neighbors acted appropriately, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen also said he will be meeting with representatives from Wipfli, a firm of certified public accountants and consultants.

Wipfli has been hired to conduct a feasibility study about the possibility of turning one of the buildings at The Neighbors into assisted living, he said.

Clifton Larson Allen LLP, the company that conducts an audit of the county’s finances, recommended changing one building at the nursing home from skilled nursing to assisted living.